Napkin holding device



Oct. 16, 1962 1.. B. BARTH NAPKIN HOLDING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FiledAug. 11, 1959 FIG: 3

l8 INVEN TOR. law/:2 8. 3427' M (Ll-J A7702 IS Oct. 16, 1962 L. B. BARTH3,058,258

NAPKIN HOLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 11, 1959 2 Sheets$heet 2 INVENTOR.law/E2 .B. B/mfl/ Jrromvers 3,058,258 NAPKIN HOLDING DEVICE Luther B.Barth, Glen Rte., Aitkin, Minn. Filed Aug. 11, 1959, Ser. No. 833,069 2Claims. (Cl. 45-68.4)

This invention relates to a holding means to be used in connection witha place mat for a dining table or directly in connection with such atable.

It is desirable to have some means for holding a napkin particularlyafter the napkin has been used. Generally a napkin after having beenused is crumbled up and placed on the table making an unpleasing sight.It is desirable to have a convenient means for holding said napkin belowa table top level.

It is an object of this invention, therefore, in connection with atable, to provide means for holding a napkin below the surface level ofa dining table.

It is another object of this invention in connection with a place mat toprovide a bracket removably secured to said place mat and depending overthe edge portion of a table and being adapted to have a napkin removablysecured therein.

It is a further object of this invention to provide, in connection witha place mat for a table, a right-angled bracket having portions in theplane of and being adapted to be removably secured to said place mat andhaving a depending reversely curved U-shaped portion adapted to have anapkin supported therein.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a bracket havinga ring portion of flat, thin, substantially rigid material adapted to bedisposed beneath a place mat on a table or beneath a dish such as adinner plate and having a depending reversely curved U-shaped portionadapted to support a table napkin below the surface level of said table.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a substantiallyU-shaped, reversely curved bracket having integral therewith portionsadapted to be removably secured to the edge portion of a table.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be fullyset forth in the following description made in connection with theaccompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer tosimilar parts throughout the several views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a tabletop and applicants device in operating position;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of a broken portion of a place mat withapplicants device shown in an alternate position on dotted line;

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 asindicated by the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of applicants device in modified form;

FIG. 5 is a View in vertical section taken on line 55 of FIG. 4 asindicated by the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a fragmentary portion of a tabletop and applicants device in operation position with some parts thereofin dotted line; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a modified form of applicants device.

Referring to FIGS. 1-3 a fragmentary portion of a table 10 is indicatedof common construction and having a top portion substantiallyparallelpiped in form. Disposed on said table in position is a place mat12 having a dinner plate 13 indicated thereon. Said place mat which maybe variously formed is here indicated as being circular in form having adecorative open work doily 14 thereon. Said place mat preferably is madeof a somewhat rigid tet sheet material having some thickness as will behereinafter indicated.

Said place mat 12 has formed therein a pair of parallel passage ways 15and 16 of small transverse dimension extending directly inwardly from anedge portion thereof for some distance as indicated in FIGS. 2 and 3.

Adapted to be used in connection with said place mat 12 is a bracket 18.Said bracket which may be variously formed is in the embodiment of theinvention here disclosed indicated as being formed of rod-like materialof small transverse dimension being somewhat resilient or spring-like.Said bracket is formed by first being reversely curved and having itsclosed end portion bent at a right angle to the free end portionsthereof and then reversely curved to form a depending U-shaped portion20. The free end portions 21 and 22 of said bracket are adapted toextend away from said portion 20 and be inclined outwardly in adirection somewhat away from one another to have said free end portionsspaced somewhat further apart than the distance between said passageways 15 and 16. Said free end portions 20 and 21 are urged together tobe disposed within said passage ways 15 and 16 to frictionally engagethe remote sides of said passage ways to be removably held therein. Withreference to FIG. 1, a member 24 indicated as being a folded napkin isshown held in operating position in said bracket 18.

The use of applicants device is quite obvious from its description.Place mat 12 may be provided prepared with passage ways 15 and 16therein and said brackets 18 may be removably positioned therein asindicated and easily removed therefrom for storage purposes.

With reference to FIG. 4, a modification of applicants device is showncomprising a substantially annular member 30 preferably formed ofstiffened material somewhat resilient or spring-like and of smalltransverse dimension. Integral with said portion 31} and extending in adirection outwardly therefrom in the same plane thereof are portionsthereof forming a pair of parallel portions 32 and 33 joined at theirremote ends to form a closed end portion 36 which is here shown bentdownwardly at substantially a right-angle to the plane of said annularportion and reversely curved to form depending U-shaped bracket. Thering portion 30 is preferably formed to be in a substantially flatcondition so that a place mat or a plate may be directly placed thereonto provide suiiicient weight to hold the same in position. Withreference to FIG. 5, a plate 38 is indicated as having been placed oversaid portion 311 and said depending bracket portion 35 will veryconveniently support a napkin or the like therein below the surfacelevel of a table. Said annular member 30 is here indicated as havingextending thereacross a member 31 of thin flexible sheet materialwhereby said member 30 may be retained in position by a plate or dish ofsmaller dimension being placed centrally thereon.

With reference to FIG. 6, applicants bracket 18 is shown used directlyin connection with a table 40 instead of in connection with a place matas above described. A broken edge portion of table 40 as indicatedhaving formed therein, a pair of substantially parallel spaced passageways 41 and 42 spaced apart somewhat less than the distance between thefree end portions 21 and 22 of said bracket 18 whereby said free endportions are urged in a direction toward one another to be disposed insaid passage ways 41 and 42 to frictionally engage the remote sides ofsaid passages.

With reference to FIG. 7, a modified form of applicants device is showncomprising a substantially U- shaped plate member 45 formed ofspring-like material having sides 46 and 47 spaced apart by the endportion 48 the distance of the thickness of a table top. Said sides 46and 47 will be inclined somewhat toward one another in the direction oftheir free ends. A somewhat U-shaped portion 50 is shown struck out ofsaid side 47 and reversely curved upwardly in the direction of the side46 to form a substantially U-shaped bracket. Thus, applicants device 45is adapted to be placed over the edge portion of a table to frictionallyengage the same having said bracket portion 50 extending outwardly ofsaid table below the surface thereof for supporting therein an objectsuch as a napkin.

Thus, it is seen that I have provided a very simply constructed brackethaving a high degree of utility for use in connection with a place maton a table or for use directly in connection with a table for supportingobjects such as napkins conveniently below the surface level of a table.

It will of course be understood that various changes may be made in theform, details, arrangement and proportions of the parts, withoutdeparting from the scope of applicants invention, which, generallystated, consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects aboveset forth, in the parts and combinations of parts disclosed and 20defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A structure of the type indicated having in combination, a place matof small thickness, an elongated U shaped member having a free end and aclosed end, its

free end portion removably disposed in said mat in the plane thereofthrough an edge portion thereof, said member adjacent the edge portionof said mat being bent out of the plane of said mat to form asubstantial angle therewith and the closed end portion of said memberbeing reversely bent in a direction oppositely of said free end portionto form a napkin holding bracket.

2. A structure of the type indicated having in combination, a place matsuch as is disposed under a plate as on a table, an elongated U-shapedmember having a free end and a closed end, its free end portion beingintegral with said mat, said member being bent adjacent said free endportion to form at least a right angle, with the plane of said mat andthe closed end portion of said member being reversely bent in adirection oppositely of said free end portion to form a napkin holdingbracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS379,759 Bradley Mar. 20, 1888 1,098,789 English June 2, 1914 1,442,115Babel Jan. 16, 1923 2,949,510 Sichel Aug. 16, 196

